Hand-guide and brake for sleds



(No Model!) P. B. DOTY.

HAND GUIDE AND BRAKE FOR SLEDS. No. 364,910. I Patented June 14, 1887.

N. PFIERS, Phnln-Uthognphnr. wakin wn. ma

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER B. DOTY, OF CONNEAUT, OHIO.

HAND-GUIDE ANDBR'AKE FOR SLEDS SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 364,910, dated June 14, 1887.

Application filed April 6, 1887. Serial No. 233,905.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER B. DOTY, a citi zen of the United States,residing at Conneant, in the county of Ashtabula and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Guides and Brakes forHand- Sleds; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,refereneebeing had to the. accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figuresof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a guide and brake for hand-sleds. Its object isto enable the rider to sit erect and control the course of the sledwhile running, as well as to answer the purpose of a brake.

It consists of a certain construction and arrangement of parts, whichwill be more fully described hereinafter.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of guide (with fastener) attached tosled. Fig. 2 is a view of. fastener detached from guide.

-A represents the guide, which consists of a tough piece of oak orhickory or other suitable wood, from three to four feet in length andabout an inch in diameter, through one end of which is a small hand-pinfor the con: venience of the operator, and in the other end is a thinbevel-edged semicircular piece of malleable iron fastened horizontally,by means of a groove, in wood, into which the straight edge of iron isplaced and firmly secured by means of two bolts passing through the woodand iron.

Fastener B is a square clevis, made of iron or other suitable metal,with thumb-screw d, by which it is secured to rear part of sled. Pivot 0passes through the upper part of said clevis and through guide A, andanswers the purpose of an axle, upon which guide A is opera-ted.

Without the use of this or some other similarly-constructed guide andbrake very great inconvenience and much danger accompanies the use ofthe hand-sled in coasting. If you desire to sit erect without guide, youcannot control thecourse or slacken the speed of the sled. As hand-sledsare now used, the only way this can be accomplished is by lyinghorizontally on sled with feet projecting, which (No model.)

children make answer the place of guide and brake. This is fruitful ofharm, as wellas destroying shoes and clothing.

A great number of serious accidents, as well-as, many times, loss oflife, are reported annually, resulting from children coasting withouttheir sleds being provided with a suitable guide and brake.

I am aware that brakes or guides for sleds or sleighs have been madewith levers hinged in front of the sled to the sides of the rum ners,and terminating in a bent arm, prong, or barb. Said brakes are veryobjectionable in practice when applied during accelerated motion. Iflowered too much in the slightest, the bent arm, barb, or prong isforced in the snow or ground. The result is to turn the sled entirelyover, throwing the operator forward with all the force of the sled inmotion,

frequently causing serious accidents. My invention obviates thisdifficulty by the difference in constru ction, and being attached to therear part of sled-runner and projecting behind the sled, with thebevel-edged semicircular piece of iron so formed as not to penetrate theground. In patent granted to Ney, November 1, 1881, N 0. 249,081,(sled-brakes,) it is true the brake is attached to rear end ofsled-runner, but does not project behind it; hence when this brake islowered to any extent it raises the runner and capsizes the sled.

My invention remedies this trouble by being so constructed as to projectbehind the sled.

I do not desire to claim the idea of guides or sled-brakes broadly; but

What I do claim as a new article of manufacture,and desire to secure byLetters Patent,

An improvement in sled guides and brakes, consisting of guide A, made ofsuitable material, with hand-pin in one end and semicircular bevel-edgedpiece of iron in the other secured to rear part of sled by means offastener B, with screw (Z and pivot 0, upon which guide A is hinged,substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.Y

PETER 13. DOTY. Witnesses:

ALLEN M. 00);,

ABNER K. HAYWARD.

